Arranged marriages aren't only for mortals. No, even Gods and Demons are subjected to the same form of torture. For one godling, their future husband is anything but what they wanted. After running away, can this godling find love or be forced to marry?

Once upon a time there was a young godling, she was a fair beauty beyond words and had a heart of gold and a love so great that no one could ever shatter it. One day she fell to earth and tried to find away home, but sadly she found none. The mortals had found her and seeing that she was so distressed, they took her in and sheltered her. Though she had lost her divine glow, she was still a fair beauty. Many came to call upon her, but each one she kindly tuurned down, but promised them that if they kept searching one day Love just might fall from the sky just for them.

She spent her days living as a mortal, getting her self dirty with the warm earth and washing away her worries with cool water. Everyday that passed, she began to forget about going home. She began to forget she was an immortal. But one day, she ventured out to the forest to gather fire wood. It was the dead of winter and she had run low.

She donned a red cape as fiery as her mane of ruby locks as her blue eyes shone with all her emotions and an innocence so pure it was impossible to taint. She wandered about till she found a dead tree with low branches. She set to work breaking wood and bark and setting them in her bamboo basket to carry home. It was while she was busy that a danger well known in these parts came upon her.

Having not eaten in months, the beast was willing to feed on the first living creature and it happened to be her, but when his shadow fell upon her and she turned to stare in fright, it was as if Father Time had stopped the grains of time and froze them in that single moment. Red met blue. Sparks flew and as if it had been burned, the owner of the red eyes looked away. She stood there still, frightened and now very cold, but she dared not try to flee knowing the beast would catch her.

The beast looked back and felt guilt, an emotion it has never felt before. Looking around it saw her basket and looked to the dead tree before raising its claws. The poor beauty fell to the floor, begging and sobbing as the claws came down, but instead of hitting her, the beast cut down the tree into even logs and walked away. The girl was stunned but she thanked him for both sparing her and the wood before she gathered all she could carry and hurried home...

Winter bled into spring and with it new life. The girl had completely forgot that she was ever an immortal, but still longed to go home. She saw this everytime she saw a couple of lovers walking by or a mother hugging her sobbing child. She wanted a lover, a husband. And she wanted a child of her own... A child she would carry and birth, feed and cloth, love and hold. She wanted a family.

Sighing, she turned from the sight around her and went back to washing her clothes in a near by brook. She would hum and sing lullabies as she worked, fantasizing of a child she wanted so dearly. She paused as a thought came to her. She would go to the temple and leave an offering to the goddess of mothers and ask her for a child of her own. She was sure the goddess would hear her and possible bless her, but only the gods would know for sure.

The day passed and soon night fell across the world, silencing it in her loving embrace as her daughters, the moon and stars, gathered to dance till their father, the sun, rose the next day. She had prepared her offering of baby's breath and lillies, a perfume of rose oil and two candles, one white, the other red. She set them in her hand basket and began her walk to the temple. She walked quickly as the full moon guided her through the dark forest and the stars protected her from harm. She hummed as she walked, singing softly.

Soon she saw the temple appear and she quickly made her way up the long flight of stairs and fell before the temple stairs. She kissed the stone stairs and begged entrance to the temple. The stone doors opened at her plea and she stood and quickly entered as the doors began to shut; completely unaware of the presence that snuck in as well.

She fell before the alter and set out the candles before lighting them then she laid the flowers down in a wreath before sprinkling them with the rose oil. Then she rubbed the remaining oil on her stomach and over her breats and thighs, having opened her gown to show the goddess her untouched body. When she had finished she began to pray, her soft voice sounding like a gentle hum of a humming bird as she begged the goddess to see favor in her and to bless her with a husband and child.

As she prayed, she was numb to the world around her, oblivious to the presence that watched her. Finally when it seemed she had finished, she egan to rise and that's when the presence struck. sneaking up behind her, tne figure wrapped strong arms around her and silenced her with a promise of fulfilling deepest wish for a child. she became frightened and began to fight, not wanting some Temple Theif to rape her, but sadly she was not strong enough and fell there on the alter and lost her purity and sanity to the passions of the stranger...

When morning came, she found herself laying on a bed of blankets and her clothes folded neatly beside her. She looked around for the man who took her forcefully, but lovingly, only to see she was alone. She began to cry, knowing that her pray would never be answered now. Getting dressed and gathering her belongings she left the temple and headed for home to cry her heart out.

The day passed and everyone who saw her asked if she was well since she did not smile or greet them in return. She told them she was unwell and wished to finish her errands so she may return home and lay in her bed. They kindly left her be and soon began questioning what could have made her so sad. She sighed as she got home and went to bed, bolting her door and window, in fear of anyone else who would come to take her as they pleased...

She awoke with a start and gasped seeing a man standing over her bed. She tried to scream, but he quickly silenced her and forced her down to her bed once more. He took her with the same passion and she felt her sanity slip away into the sea of never ending passion. Her body was burning and her heart quivered, her breath stilled and then released itself in a scream of ecstasy before she fell into oblivion.

When she woke the next morning, she as dressed in her gown and tucked lovingly into bed, but was once again alone. She sobbed and refused to leave her bed, not even to nibble on bread or sip at water. She cried and slept, though it was hardly peaceful. When night fell again, she refused to sleep, hoping to see her rapist. But sadly, she fell to sleep and was once again awoke with a start.

She pressed herself against her bed frame, eyes wide with fear as the man stood over her once more.

"Why do you come? Why must you continue to ruin me?" She asked.

"I am merely satisfying your wish..." He said and approached her.

"No! Do not do this! Not again! I will surely die!" She begged. "Your passion is to great and I fear my heart will stop! Please, no more!"

The man said nothing as he climbed onto the bed and pulled her to him, she struggled, hitting him with one fist as the other pushed at him, but he simply held her until she was tired and could only cling to him and sob. He sighed and kissed her temple and murmured sweet little nothings into her ear as she grew sleepy once more. He smiled and laid her down, to night he would not take her. He did not wish to upset her further, but he had only wished to answer prayers.

He gave her a husband, though only at night and soon he would give her a child. He wanted her to see him, but he feared she'd kill herself for bearing his child should see him. He sighed and laid beside her, holding her tightly to him as he let mortal sleep befall him and dreams wisk him away...

She awoke the next morning, refreshed and warm. She smiled and opened her eyes only to see a man in her bed. She gasped and pulled away, but fell from her small bed and yelped when her bottom met the floor. she whined in pain, not paying attention to the man in her bed who had awoken and was now looking at her. When she did look, blue met red yet again and she gasped.

The man looked away, his face falling into a guilty frown as he began to rise from her bed, but she quickly called to him, making him stop. he did not turn to her, he did not wish to face her after all he had done.

"You... you are the beast..."

"That I am..." He said, looking at the wall still.

"But... I do not understand... why did you spare me back then and why to you rape me now?" She asked.

"I do not know why I spared you... I'm sure you'd have been a fine meal, but I see now that if I had eaten you, I would be enjoying the pleasures of your warm, soft flesh... Nor would I have known that love can be cruel..." He spoke, shrugging his shoulders as he laughed dryly.

"Then I am nothing more than a wench to sooth your lust?" She asked, her voice twinged with pain and sorrow, her arms wrapped about her belly as if to protect an unborn child from an abusive husband.

"No wench has ever had the pleasure of my bedding them. Only my mate has such a pleasure... If you do not believe my words look there in the basin and see the mark I have left." He pointed, without looking still, at the basin beside her bed.

he heard her stand and she gasped when she saw the mark of a beast on her neck. She touched the mark and shivered in lust at the pleasure it caused. He could smell her wet arousal and fought to not turn and take her again and again until she was fat with his child. He did turn however when she fell, having fainted from shock. He quickly got her into bed and looked at her head before he went to her medicines and found some sage. He crushed the leaves allowing the strong scent to wake her and he smiled as she blushed.

"Such a fair beauty faints at the news she's mated, but does not faint at the sight of a beast... A strange one, are you not?" He asked, teasing her.

She pouted, her face red with embarrassment as he laughed and kissed her pouting mouth before he stood and said, "Remain in bed. I will make you food. You have not eaten in a day. It is not good for you to miss meals especially if you wish to bear children."

"But it is your fault I have not eaten. You have taken me against my will. By all rights I should scream for the huntsman to come collect your head and your fur for assualting me as you did before the gods!" She snapped, angry that he was scolding her when it was his fault.

"Aye, it is, it is... But you should have had sense enough to plead for help."

"How could I? The passion of a beast is too great for a mortal! It is a miracle that I am still alive after two times, let alone one!"

"And you will continue to be so lucky for I will continue to take you, consented or not. I am going to to give a child." He said before he turned to leave. "Take comfort, my mate, that only you will be so lucky as to speak as you do to me. Should you have been a wench, my hand would be holding your heart."

She froze at that and he left to find food, he knew she wouldn't be foolish to summon the huntsman for fear that he may change his mind and kill her. when he returned later, he found her sitting by the fire, her face in her hands as she cried. He felt guilt yet again, but he shoved it aside as he set his kill down on the counter and moved to hug her, careful not to stain her with blood.

"Hush, my mate, hush... there is no need to be so frightened. I would never harm you. I could never o such a thing... shh, my sweet, shh..." He soothed and she clung to him once more sobbing into his strong chest as he whispered into her ear that there was no reason to fear him and there never would be...

Days passed, she found herself waking up every morning to the beast's human form, he was handsome and he was smart. His wit was as deadly as his silver tongue; a sly fox was what she had called him one night when he had teased her about her moaning during their lovemaking. She spent her days washing and going to town, the villagers noticed her mood change and wondered what was going on with their fair beauty. One man who held a fancy for her opted to follow her, watching her every move. When she came back to her home, a man showed up in a cloak, a satchel in hand and a freshly skinned animal pelt.

He snuck closer and peeked into the window to see her pull a meat from the satchel and begin cooking it, salting and smoking it slowly over a fire as well as adding herbs and a honeyed glaze she made to sweeten the cooking meat. The man was sitting on the floor and looked to be brushing the furs and making them into bedding as a big one was left hanging to air out. The man's back was to him but he could see long blonde hair that was red at the tips as if it had been dipped in blood.

He frowned, no one has ever seen this man before ad they all know that the girl never saw fancy in anyone before, so who was this stranger and how is it he came to be in her good graces? He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw the man get up and walk over to her. She seemed to be in pain, holding her stomach. The man picked her up and laid her down on the bedding he was making and quickly fetched her some water.

He watched them talk as the man looked at her, feeling for fever and laying his hand on her belly before smiling when she said something and turned away, her cheeks red with embarrassment. He growled and finally stomred over to the door and knocked loudly. He heard the man growl and the girl telling him to calm down. There was some muffled talking before the door was pulled open and the man glarded down at him from under his cloak again.

"Who are you? What business do you have here?" he asked, though his voice was rough and that growl was persistent.

"I'm here to see the lady of this house. Who are you? You're face isn't one we've seen before and why are you in her home alone?"

"What I do with my wife is my business; be gone! I'm to fetch the healer." The man ordered, stepping forward, his presence was fiercesome and his voice was dangerous. It was rough and it was low, as if he were trying not to yell.

The man was stunned, never before has anyone seen her with a suitor, but to be married? He glared at the man and made to walk into the house, but the cloaked man's mouth pulled back and a snarl ripped from his throat. The sound frightened the man and he quickly backed away as the man came out and shut the door. When the cloaked male left, the man looked nervously back into the house. Was the man forcing her to remain with him? It would explain her sudden changes, but why would she marry him if he was so cruel?

Deciding to brave the claoked man's wrath, he stepped into the house and saw her laying on the floor, her face pale, her hair damp with sweat as she held her stomach, a small moan of pain coming from her parted lips every now and again. He quickly ran to her side and pulled her up into a his chest as he brushed his hand through her damp hair. She opened her eyes and gasped seeing him there. he hushed her when she made to speak, telling her that he would rescue her from her abusive husband.

She looked at him with wide eyes and asked what did he mean about her husband, she told him that he was anything but abusive. She said that he was a hard man to read and get along with most times, but it was the little things he did for her that let her know he cared. He protested that everyone had noticed her changes and knew nothing of her courting or being married. She looked away and asked him to leave, he was upsetting her and her husband would be home soon.

Seeing as she would not willingly leave, he made to pick her up, but at that moment the cloaked man returned with an old healer woman behind him. He saw them and glared. the healer told him to calm himself, that his hostility would upset his wife and her delicate condition. He nodded curtly and strode over to them, taking his wife from the man he had told to leave and laid her back down on the bedding so te healer could have better access to her. He told the woman to care for his wife and dragged the fool outside.

When they were outside, he threw the fool to the floor and told him to leave. The man demanded to know why he was there and why was it that he was able to be the one for her. The cloaked man simply told him that Fate had a way with bringing people together, even if they don't match or agree all the time. The man yelled, saying that the cloaked man was holding her prisioner. The man tilted his head and looked at him as if her were stupid.

"I hold no one prisoner. She is free to come and go as she pleases... She's allowed to spend the night away from home. I am not so cruel to control her. All I ask is that she look at no other male the way she looks at me." He said. "A simple request for all the freedom she has, is it not?"

"You think me stupid! I know you are forcing her to bed! I know she would never willingly sleep beside you!"

"How would you know this? Do you peer into our window?" The cloaked man asked, tilting his head once more.

"Stop that! You look like a stupid beast!"

The man's head snapped up and his body and aura suddenly went rigid, but instead of killing the fool, he simply turned and walked into his home. The man stared in disbelief; the man just ignored him! how dare he! Growling he stalked away, silently vowing to get the young girl away from the brute that claims to be her husband...

He turned from the door when he was sure the fool had left and looked to the old healer. She had stripped his mate bare and was now looking over her body using some mystic stones. Murmuring and nodding her head as she went. He never understood human healers, but the woman seemed to know what she was doing and when she sat back and smiled at the young girl, placing the blanket over her naked frame, she told them that the pain was due to her being pregnant.

They both looked at her with wide eyes and the healer nodded, telling them that because the girl was so fair and delicate, she was bound to feel stomach pains and more than likely morning sickness. She then gave them a remeby for the morning sickness, telling the husband to brew a cup when she begins to throw up and to mix honey into it to sooth her stomach. It would cure the morning sickness for the day. She nodded her head and her husband nodded his head and she left after the man paid her well for helping them...

days became months and everyone would see their fair beauty rouding day by day with child and as the days passed a man would walk beside her, hidden by his cloak and gloves. When asked, the man said he had been burned terribly as a child and that their fair little beauty had found him wounded at the temple and had taken care of him. When they asked about her child, he admitted to loving her and showing her his love almost nightly and one day she became ill and the healer told them it was because she was expecting a child.

They nodded in understanding, though they lectured him on marrying her as soon as she had the baby because the stress of a wedding wouldn't be healthy for her now. He agreed and soon became a part of the village. He would sell furs to the villagers and kept an eye on the children at play, getting use to tending to children and learning when to scold a child and when to coddle them. The mothers all laughed as he tried to sooth a crying girl when she scraped her knee and nearlly fell over when he scolded the boys for roughhousing too much. He seemed to be a natural with children, but he was just a sight to see, getting flusttered so easily and sometimes letting a few choice words slip and uickly telling the children not to repeat them, only to repeat them again when he got stuck or confused himself and the cycle started again.

Yes, everyone was happy, except for the foolish man who had grown insane with want and lust, jealousy had been the final push he needed to do something drastic. He waited for when the cloaked man left to get the healer, leaving his wife unattended and allowing him to go in and kill the child about to be born. She lay in bed gasping and crying, doing as the other mothers had told her when the pain came more quickly. She took deep breaths and began to push when the pain came. She was doing fine, feeling herself rip a little as she felt something trying to push it's way out.

Screaming more, she cried and prayed to the goddess of mothers to help her bear her child safely to the world and for the child to live. She screamed once more as she felt more leave her. she couldn't see over her belly, but she knew, oh how she knew, her child was almost free of her body. She arched her back and with a final push and a scream, the baby popped out of her and fell the bed where it let out wails, wiggling trying to find warmth.

She laid there a moment to breath before she sat up and held her child, taking the sheers her mate used to cut the furs, and cut the cord connecting her to the baby and taking a cloth to clean the baby up. As she did this, the remaining liquid was expelled from her body and she laid back smiling tiredly. but before she could relax or even get a good look at her child, she saw the glint of the blade before it was buried into her chest as her baby was pulled from her arms.

She fell limp, dead in seconds as the man looked at the babe and sneered, the baby had the man's hair, but also had strange-

He spun when the door slammed into the wall and there stood the man in the cloak and the healer, who gasped at the sight of the dead mother, a blade in her heart. The foolish man laughed cruelly and let the baby fall from his hands, but the baby never hit the floor. The healer screamed when she saw the man turn into a monster, a demon, and catch the baby before setting it in her arms and leaping upon the man, killing him slowly. She turned and away as she heard the sounds of flesh being ripped to pieces as the man's screams filled the house for hours before silence.

She had not dared to move in fear of what the beast would do to her, in that time she examined the child, seeing that it was a boy and that he was healthy. She feed him some goat milk she had found in a jar that was still fresh before she rocked him to sleep. She jumped when the man in the cloak came out, his shirt stained in blood and his dead mate in his arms. But before more could be said and done, a strange wind picked up and wrapped about the mother and both demon and human watched as the blade vanished and the wound healed before the woman gasped and began alive once more, but now she glowed brightly like a god.

She looked confused as she stood there before the Goddess of Mothers appeared and hugged her.

"My child... I have searched far and wide... I sought you out when you prayed and have been protecting you since... but because you asked me to protect your baby, I couldn't protect you..." the goddess cried, hugging her child close to her bossom.

"Mother?" she asked, still at a lose.

"Hush... you, demon." the goddess addressed the demon. "Thank you for all you've done, though you know the punishment for taking a god as a mate."

The demon nodded mutely, looking longingly at his child, but knew that this was the way things were. His child and mate would never remember him, but he would always remember them.

"... My child, how much do you love this beast?"

"I'd give up my divinity if I could stay with him for one more night..." she said, smiling softly at her mate, who smiled back, though the cloak hid it.

"Then... If I were to make him a protector of our family, you may remain with him, but his punishment must be carried out. Your child may never know who his sire is... you marry the God of Hunters, he will be the child's 'Father' as this beast will be his guardian and protector."

"I understand, my lady... But just because he may never know I am his father, I will raise him. I refuse to see some other male raise my child." the demon said, defying her even when she was helping him.

"As you wish. You may do as you both please, but be warned that should anyone know that you are sleeping together or have another child together, I will not be able to protect you then."

"We understand." They said.

"Very well... you, mortal... I shall bless you with youth and immortality... but in return you must be silent of the events that have occured here tonight. if you ever speak of this night, you will be dragged to the deepest pits of hell and be tortured to the end of time."

The healer nodded her head and the goddess blew a mist of sparkling dust over the woman. When it cleared, the home was empty and the healer ran to the mirror to see she was young once more. she took a dye needle and carefully marked her forehead with a pale blue, almost purple diamond. She stood back and concentrated her magic and locked this night away until the time would come for her to recall this night...

In the heavens, months later, a wedding was held and the once mortal goddess was married to the God of Hunters, the demon had been purified and blessed. Marked to be a protector of the goddess and her family. The baby was brought out of hiding and presented to the other gods, the claims were that the God of Hunters had found her and impregnanted her, but had been called back to heaven and never knew. The other gods believed it to be true and welcomed the child.

All was peaceful in heaven and on earth, but in the years to come much would change and much would be revealed...

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.